The Mercer Family Blog

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-13T11:04:00.004-06:00

We are still here! This poor little blog is feeling so neglected. I haven't given up on it totally and one day I hope to be back in full swing. In the meantime, catch us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/lorimercerphoto and while you are there don't forget to check out my photography fan page at www.facebook.com/lorimercerphotography.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T12:05:00.006-06:00

WOW! This year has had its very own share of challenges and has taught me so many things. One is that I am extremely addicted to my computer and when it is down, boy, the withdrawals are no fun! I have had two significant events with my computer in the past three months along with my busiest season ever (of which I am so incredibly grateful)! I am so thankful to have a friend like Rod Oshel who can fix anything Microsoft and what a blessing he has been in my life this year! Without him I don't know what I would have done.

Check out my photo blog for some of my precious little clients from the past few months. Much more updating to come over there as well.

So needless to say this poor little blog has been feeling quite neglected in 2009 but I'm my plans are to show it much more love in 2010. Please stay tuned and don't leave me now! I haven't stopped documenting my precious children and hopefully soon I'll be able to share all of their wonderful adventures lately. Until next time, here is our family Christmas card this year. Merry Christmas everyone!

Montgomery Parents Magazine

2009-09-02T16:00:00.000-05:00

I was thrilled when Michele Mulder contacted me about using a picture that I took from last Fall's Kindermusik class to use in an ad for a summer advertisement she is running in Montgomery Parents magazine. I even got to help with the design of the ad! Be on the look out and see if you can find him! I think it ran in the July and August editions and I'm not sure if it is in the September edition or not. I believe it is also running in a publication that is distributed to Air Force families as well.

Walking Practice

2009-09-02T14:00:00.000-05:00

Owen has been getting in lots of walking practice these days since he has discovered his push toys. He can fly pusing these things around but still hasn't gotten the confidence to let go and do it on his own.

(Video embedded)

UPDATE: This was captured a month ago and while he has gotten more efficient he still is yet to be label "a walker" yet!

More Fun with Food!

2009-09-02T12:00:00.001-05:00

Oh I could have a post everyday about our adventures with Owen's eating! This was another particularly funny episode one evening at dinner. He was sitting right next to us doing his thing and when I looked up this is what I found! I can't tell you how fast this happened. I guess we weren't paying him enough attention! Needless to say he went straight to the tub!

Art Time!

2009-09-02T10:00:00.000-05:00

If an effort to keep them busy and out of the kitchen while trying to make dinner one evening I pulled out the roll paper and let them go to town. They loved it! Owen climbed up into Katelyn's chair like a big boy and scribbled like a champ! Katelyn has always love art and now Owen is showing the same interest. A new set of toddler markers kept Katelyn occupied for quite some time.

Panama City Beach

2009-09-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

We were so excited to get to go the beach again this year during the week that Aunt Kaye and her family were down there. We only stayed a couple of days but it was perfect to get my "beach fix" for the summer! The kids absolutely loved it! I have to warn you that this is a picture heavy post! I had lots of favorites and no good way to collage them. Enjoy!

I couldn't get over how much Owen loved the sand and as expected would crawl on ANYTHING! He would take off crawling across the beach and not look back!

(Video embedded)

I think we have a future swimsuit model in the family! Baylor couldn't get enough of the sand and surf!

One of the folks set up behind us had this great idea of burying a big plasic tub in the sand and fill it with water. It was the perfect cool down spot for the kids.

Katelyn really enjoyed playing in the surf this year!

Of course it didn't take her long to find some friends, as she likes to call "her size", to play with.

(Embedded video)

Owen even enjoyed a little nap on the beach in my lap. Aw sweet heaven!

One evening Bart & Katelyn went out to ride go-carts with everyone and Owen & I decided to just hang back at the condo. We walked out to the beach around sunset and I just enjoyed watching the surf while he played in the sand. It was a very impromptu outing and the only camera I had on me was my camera phone. Even though this image is not the best quality it is an all-time favorite moment! Man I wished I had had my big camera out there that afternoon!

Our last night at the beach we enjoyed dinner at Pineapple Willy's. Aunt Kaye bought the kids a shirt and it has become one of Katelyn's favorites. She is constantly asking to wear her "Pineapple Willy's shirt"!! It was a fun evening!

While waiting for our table we spent some time listening to a great reggae band. The kids had a blast taking over the dance floor.

Owen was even caught shaking his booty!

When it was time to go home the kids didn't want to leave! Katelyn still talks about the fun she had at the beach this summer!

I didn't do any formal family pictures of us this trip. We are planning to go to Gulf Shores in October for the Alabama Shrimp Festival so I'm hoping to do our annual family pictures then. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Owen will be walking by then!!

Learning to Self Feed

2009-09-01T14:00:00.000-05:00

Oh my! Owen has turned into Mr. Independent! Gone are the days of feeding him and keeping everything nice and clean. At 14 months he now insists on doing it himself! Regardless of what he is eating he has to have a fork or spoon. He absolutely refuses to eat if you try to feed him or even remotely try to help him. I couldn't resist taking pictures of this cute messy face after eating ravioli one day.

Oh and when he turns his plate over and starts feeding Ruthie, he's done. :)

Bath Fun

2009-09-01T12:00:00.000-05:00

My two birds absolutely LOVE bathtime! As soon as dinner is finished Owen knows it is time for baths and gets all excited. One evening I caught Katelyn throwing water on her brother and Owen was loving every minute of it. Oh the payback she is going to get one day!! I couldn't resist capturing their sweet giggles.

Who needs bath toys?!? Just throw in some cups and they would entertain themselves for hours if I let them. Cups are by far the most fought after item in our tub!

Playdate at Surfside Water Park

2009-09-01T10:00:00.000-05:00

It seems to have been a tradition each summer to go to Surfside Water Park in Auburn each July. We have been every summer starting when Katelyn was only 2 months old! She loves it there and it is a nice refreshing treat. Here are the links from 2008, 2007, and 2006!

This year was Owen's first year to join us. Last year he stayed back at home so Katelyn could get some one-on-one attention. This year was quite the handle chasing two little ones at a water park. In fact we all had two to chase this year and wow what a difference that made. Owen decided to be unusually clingy even though he normally LOVES the water and Katelyn kept begging me to do things with her so I was completely worn out by the end of the day. With all that I didn't get many pictures this year. Here are a few of my favorites.

And this was the scene shortly after leaving the parking lot!! I just wish I could have put the truck on auto-pilot and slept with them!

Summer Fun at Gymboree

2009-09-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

Since Kindermusik didn't have a regular summer program we decided to try out Gymboree as a fun activity for several weeks. The kids absolutely loved it! They got to get out all of their pent up energy on the play equipment each week while learning to use their imagination through play. As soon as we walked in each week Owen would get super excited and his little legs would start kicking wanting to be put down so he could go! That boy was not shy in the least! Ms. Brittney did a great job with the kids. It was the perfect indoor activity to beat the summer heat! As a bonus they were sound asleep in the car each week before I even got on the road good. Aaahhh! Sweet silence! :)

Boomerang Express - VBS 2009

2009-08-31T15:16:00.005-05:00

In July we attended Vacation Bible School at Frazer UMC. Usually it is only open to ages 4 and up but children of volunteers can go each year as well. I always try to do what I can to help out so the kids can join in the fun as well. This was Katelyn's first year in the regular VBS program instead of the nursery area. It was a good thing because Owen came down with a fever virus the first of the week and I wasn't able to do as much this year as I would have liked. With Rosie's help watching Owen I was able to stay a couple of days to take pictures for the church. Here are a few highlights of Katelyn from the week. She had a great time!

There were over 800 children attending VBS each day. The mission project for the week was to collect food to donate to the Montgomery Area Food Bank. Can you believe the kids collected over 2700 items for the food bank?!? It was incredible!

Fun With Paul

2009-08-31T15:13:00.003-05:00

The summertime is always busy with friends joining us for some fun on the lake. Paul and Laura were at the house one weekend and Owen got to playing catch with Paul at the table. I got so tickled watching them. Watch how Owen acts like he is going to throw the ball to Laura (who is across from him just outside the camera view) but then turns it on Paul without even looking. He would just laugh and laugh! Too cute! (Video Embedded)

One Year Portrait Update

2009-08-31T14:46:00.007-05:00

Wow! It has been a month since my one year portrait poll post! Sorry everyone for my absence. My photography life got really busy there for a while! I'm loving every minute of it but I've had to put aside my personal stuff for a little while to stay caught up. I didn't stop documenting them so I have lots to post. I've got a couple of days break before it gets cranked up again so I'm hoping I can get lots posted to the blog this week so you can see what we've been up to lately.

I did want to post a follow-up on the poll. This was the winning entry and my personal favorite as well! I'm amazed at how much he has changed in such a short time. I don't see it everyday but when I look back at something as recent as this you can really tell the differences.

Thought you all might be interested to see Katelyn's one year portrait again as well! Back then I took her to Barry Chrietzberg's studio for pictures because she would not cooperate with me in the least! I am so grateful to Barry for helping me capture my sweet girl's first year.

We had just gotten Ruthie for Katelyn's first birthday so I thought it would be neat to have a picture of them together each year since she is "KK's Dog!" Ruthie loves to sleep with her every night.

Ruthie has also changed quite a bit. Here's a pic from Father's Day weekend back in June. She turned three years old in April.

We're still alive...barely!

2009-08-24T04:51:00.002-05:00

Yes, I know. I'm majorly behind with my postings here but if you check out my photography blog you'll see I've had lots and lots of beautiful children keeping me very busy lately! I am so blessed with all of the opportunities I've been given lately. Owen and Katelyn are doing great and I'm still documenting them along the way as well. I just haven't had much extra time to post to this blog lately but it's coming...one day I hope!! ;)

Katelyn started back to school and is in K4 this year going 5 days a week (only 3 hours per day). This year has been quite the challenge so far to say the least. Her first week she went kicking and screaming everyday and it had me totally baffled. This is a child that has always LOVED school and went running in never looking back. This year she is crying and clinging to my leg every morning. Talk about stress! We were just short of pulling her out of school all together before we could finally get out of her what was going on. After about 4 days she finally told us that one of her classmates that sits right next to her was giving her a hard time. Presto! A quick chat with her teacher solved that problem and she has been a happy girl since! Man! I was just about at my wit's end! So I'm hoping and praying for a great week of school this week with NO TEARS! I would normally post a first day of school picture here but I haven't even had time to work on them yet! AAAHHHH!! More to come I promise!

Owen is taking more and more steps everyday. His attitude is rapidly developing as well. What have I gotten myself into?!? Yes, Mom, payback is *%(#!! ;)

I'm bracing myself for THIS to happen one day... (video embedded). I just know it is coming. Any dibs on who will do this first - Owen or Katelyn?

Have a great week everyone! More to come ~~soon~~ one day! :)

Sick Little Boy

2009-07-28T14:22:00.003-05:00

Okay, so I'm still a little behind in posting (not much though and I'm gaining fast!) but I couldn't resist sharing this sweet pic of my little man. Week before last he started running a fever and the doctor determined it to be just a virus. Lots of Tylenol and Motrin got us through the week. He did not have other symptoms other than a high fever. For the most part he tolerated it well and acted fairly normal. I couldn't resist snapping this pic of him with his Daddy one evening. It reminded me of a very similar shot of Katelyn and Daddy when she was very close in age.

Unfortunately he missed the entire week of Vacation Bible School. I'm happy to report he is all better and at full speed ahead these days.

Owen's 1 year portraits

2009-07-28T12:54:00.005-05:00

I just did a big photo post of Owen's 1 year pictures at my photography blog.Check it out! Please enter your vote in the embedded poll as to which image you like best for his 1 year portrait. I can't decide and I need your help!

Cartwheels

2009-07-21T06:10:00.003-05:00

Katelyn has learned to do a cartwheel and she is so excited. When I was videoing Owen's first steps behind the toy shopping cart the other day she requested that I also video her cartwheel. She has asked me numerous times if I was going to put it on the blog! So here you go! Be sure to ask her about it when you see her! ;)

(Embedded video: You may have to go to actual blog to view.)

Cruising

2009-07-21T05:08:00.003-05:00

Owen's walking (or lack of interest thereof) has frustrated me for weeks now. Katelyn was walking by this time and he continues to show no interest whatsoever. I guess because he didn't master crawling on all fours until the week before his first birthday he is quite content with his present mode of transportation. He does cruise around the furniture and pull up on any and everything that is stationary. He even has no fear of climbing! We have caught him on the dining room table many times! YIKES! Dr. Wood assures me that as long as he is walking by 18 months there is really nothing to worry about. Input from others online reassure me that this is not as uncommon as I thought. It is just so hard hauling around a 25 pound stapping boy around on my hip all day! Get up and walk buddy!! :)

I did get a little encouragement the other day when he decided to walk behind a toy shopping cart. He was so proud of himself! Notice how his first steps were not slow and steady but close to a RUN! Oh my, I guess this is a sign of things to come??

(Embedded video: You may have to go to the blog site to view.)

Story Time!

2009-07-21T05:04:00.004-05:00

Owen LOVES to sit in Katelyn's princess desk. He climbs up in it frequently and just grins thinking he is such a big boy! I caught this precious shot the other day as I was getting ready and couldn't resist snapping a shot regardless of the bad lighting. They were BOTH reading to each other. I'm so glad they love each other!

Pool Playdate

2009-07-21T05:03:00.000-05:00

Swimming has been our main activity this summer it seems! With upper 90 degree heat it's the best way to stay cool. A couple of weeks ago we meet up with several friends at Emily's brother's house to play in his pool. The kids loved being together and us moms sure thrive on the adult conversation! :)

Fun with Goggles

2009-07-20T15:10:00.003-05:00

After seeing several kids at the YMCA using goggles, Katelyn decided she needed some too. Here are my two silly birds trying them on for the first time. They both thought it was pretty funny!! Not the best pics but too cute not to share!

Independence Day Weekend

2009-07-20T05:52:00.007-05:00

Traditionally the 4th of July weekend has been "Carmichael Weekend" for us. This is the time when Gigi's sisters and their families get together for a weekend of fun in the sun. We were missing several folks this year so it wasn't quite the same not having everyone together but fun in the sun we had.

Gigi's kitten Tillie even took a dip in the pool! Katelyn thought it was hilarious! Tillie did not.

Here Katelyn is trying to make up with Tillie for her swim. As you can see Tillie was not feeling very forgiving. ;)

Owen got in lots of slide time! (Embedded video: If you are reading this in an email or reader you may have to go to the actual blog site to view.)

Owen was a cool dude in Poppy's sunglasses!

Katelyn is 100% Daddy's Girl!

We couldn't let the weekend pass without our annual family picture! Thanks Gigi for this year's goofy hats! ;) Can you find Bart?

Saturday evening we drove out to Walter Bouldin Dam to watch the fireworks. No more getting out on the boat to watch the fireworks for me! It is crazy out there with hundreds of boaters. I was excited to find an awesome place to get some fireworks pictures this year!

Chad, Stephanie, Cameron, Hannah, Adam, Lindsey, Baylor, Hunter, and Evan were not able to make it this year. We really missed you guys!!

The rest of the images are HERE.

My Little Sunflower

2009-07-20T05:35:00.005-05:00

Sunflowers are one of my favorite flowers and when my photographer friend, DiAnna, called me about a field in full bloom not far from our home I couldn't resist checking it out. Katelyn refused to go initially but when our cousin Carly, who was in town from Atlanta, agreed to join me, Katelyn could no longer resist. She is growing up so fast. Here are a few of my favorites from her time in front of the camera. For so long she was done with me taking her picture. I'm so glad to see her coming back around again. These portraits of her make me smile.

Can you believe Carly will only be 13 later this month?!? She is beautiful inside and out.

Many thanks to DaLee and Shana for all their assistance in making these images possible. I think they both have a new appreciation for what it takes sometimes to get the shot! ;) I couldn't have done it without you both!!

Summer Art

2009-07-20T05:06:00.003-05:00

All Summer Katelyn has been working on art projects for what she calls her "Play Art Show". It is all she has talked about this Summer! Almost daily I hear, "Mommy can I work on my art for my play art show?" She wants to color, paint, cut, glue, you name it! She gets a little carried away at times so much of it is not worth keeping but I do have a few put away for her big end of summer show. I guess I'll have to make a big deal out of it since she has worked so hard!

Here are a few pictures of the artist at work.

Golden Ticket Seats

2009-07-19T20:41:00.007-05:00

On Wednesday, June 23rd, Emily and I headed north at the crack of dawn with our golden ticket seats in hand to visit the Rick and Bubba radio show in Birmingham. I have been a Rick and Bubba fan for years listening and laughing at them in the mornings. When they opened their new studio last year they built in 12 audience seats which they call the "golden ticket seats". Tickets truly are golden and hard to come by. I got lucky listening to the show one morning in January when they opened up ticket reservations for June! They announced at 6am that tickets were available for the month of June and by 7am all available tickets were gone! I was so excited to get 3 tickets. I tried to get Bart to go with us but he decided not to at the last minute. Emily and I had a blast! Rick wasn't able to be there that day since he had surgery on his bicep the day before from a freak accident on Father's Day. So it was just Bubba, Speedy, Greg, and all the gang. They were so nice and made us all feel very welcome. Here are a couple of shots I snagged before, during, and after the show. I can't wait to go back again one day!

Father's Day

2009-07-18T04:06:00.008-05:00

We had a nice relaxing Father's Day just like our dads wanted it! Mom, Dad, Chuck, Anna, and Thomas all joined us at the lake for a day of swimming, boating, and fun in the sun.

Bart with his young'uns

Pop and Poppy enjoyed some pool play with their grandkids.

Bart took us out on the boat for a little skiing. Some of us hadn't skiied in years but we all gave it a try. I'll spare you the photographic details! I loved this shot of Bart's reflection in the mirror. Being on the lake is one of his favorite places!

This is one of my Dad's favorite places - anywhere with a fishing rod in his hand! The day got sweeter when Katelyn took an interest in giving it a try. She even passed up a ride in the boat to fish with Pop!

Katelyn was absolutely thrilled when she caught her first fish! She had to strike a pose for me of course!

Chuck and Dad got a little pier fishing in with a couple of their favorite little buddies.

Our papillion Ruthie was even all smiles that day! She is such a cute dog!

Staying Cool

2009-07-15T10:44:00.006-05:00

We have been spending a lot of time in Poppy & Gigi's pool this summer and my two have definitely turned into little fish. They both LOVE the water and I'm so glad! Owen has really taken to it this year especially. When he has on the swim trainer and floaties he can go whereever he wants to go. He just kicks and splashes.

Oh my! I LOVE this picture of Owen! Something about that look in his eyes!

He has also discovered the slide and has no fear! He would go down hundreds of time if we would let him! Here's a quick video. I love it how his loving sister gives him a gentle "nudge" down the slide! ;)

Sometimes they get bored with just the two of them, so we have also been spending some time at the YMCA Pool in Wetumpka. There is a neat splash area there that is just perfect for them. Owen can crawl in and out and has a big time splashing around. Katelyn enjoys finding new friends to play with.

Owen's First Movie

2009-07-15T10:03:00.004-05:00

On June 19th we met Meredith, Will, Emily, Abbie, Davis, and Grey at the Capri Theatre for their weekly $1 movie matinee showing of the Veggietales Movie "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything".

Jennifer and Courtney offered to keep the little kids (Drew, Anna Kathryn, Tyler, Vivian) and while I considered doing that I wanted to see how Owen would do. Even though he was a bit older than Katelyn was at her first movie, I was hoping since it was during his nap time that he might just go to sleep. No such luck! We made about 30 minutes into the movie and then they both got to figiting and talking so it was time to go. My little experiment was worth it for the $3 investment versus trying it out in a full price movie!

Blueberries!! YUM!!

2009-07-15T05:41:00.015-05:00

Another fun playdate last month was our trip to Barber Berry Farm off Alabama River Parkway. We thankfully got an early start as soon as they opened because the temps quickly rose and it was HOT!!

We met up with the Brawners, Blue, Meredith, Will, and Anna Kathryn and Krissy and her two kids, Chael and Carsyn.

Picking blueberries was lots of fun! I even caught Owen reaching out to get his own a few times.

It takes a long time to fill up a bucket! With all the heat, we were happy with our little stash! Of course we had to "sample" along the way! ;)

When we got back home it was time for Owen's morning nap and Katelyn and I set out to make our first blueberry pie. She loved being a helper! Our pie turned out perfectly and very delicious!

Many thanks to Meredith for suggesting this great outing! We will definitely have to do it again next summer!

The rest of the images are HERE.

I WON!

2009-07-15T04:44:00.003-05:00

I know you hear people say all the time "I never win anything!" and for the most part that is a true statement for me too. Amy at Living Locurto and co-founder of I♥FACES photography blog (that I LOVE!) hosted this little giveaway on her own blog. In a random drawing I was chosen to receive a case of Little Debbie muffins! Yippee!! What was so neat was that they arrived just the day after I got the email that I had won! "Brown" (UPS) knocked on the door and Little Debbie's face was smiling up at me! They are yummy and we are STILL enjoying them almost a month later!

Catching Tadpoles

2009-07-13T06:22:00.007-05:00

Meredith found a cool storm drain in the Old Cloverdale area that was a "hot bed" for tadpoles last month. Several of us took our kids out one hot Friday morning to see what we could catch. I used to LOVE to do this when I was a kid! I had forgotten how quick those little buggers can swim! Katelyn and the other kids had a great time! Luckily no one fell into the water and we all went home with a bowl full of "babies" to raise.

(Image is clickable)

Of course we had to try for a group picture! This one didn't turn out so bad!

That is, before Anna Kathryn started to have a melt down when we tried to take away her pacifier! ;)

Unfortunately there will be no follow-up pictures of our tadpoles turning to frogs. Ours just didn't make it. We'll have to try again next year! ;)

The rest of the images are HERE.

Gymboree

2009-07-13T05:48:00.002-05:00

This summer we have been going to the local Gymboree each week for wonderful time of play. Both Katelyn and Owen love it! Owen's little legs start kicking as soon as we walk in the door. I put him down and he is on the go. There is no shyness in our little man! The only downside to our visits is that it has really helped him learn to climb! He now climbs on EVERYTHING!! They have Family Gym class from 12:00-12:45 on Fridays. Class involves lots of imaginative play and music. Here is a quick peek inside. I'm hoping to get some pictures of them at play soon before we finish for the summer.

Sleep Over with Hannah

2009-07-13T04:51:00.003-05:00

Our neice, Hannah, has been spending much of the summer at the beach and Katelyn has missed her so much! When Hannah is home, Katelyn is ready to play! Hannah was so sweet to come over and spend the night with Katelyn recently. Katelyn was so excited she didn't know what to do! They decided to sleep on the floor in her room and when I peeked in on them the next morning they were cozied up together in the same sleeping bag. So cute!

A Rare Moment in Time

2009-07-13T04:24:00.004-05:00

Well, I'm finally back to work on my family blog! I really thought summer would slow down a bit with the kids out of school, the heat, and everyone going on vacations. However that has NOT been the case this year! I'm definitely not complaining and loving every minute of it but it has been crazy! Now that the kids are a little older they have to be "entertained" so we have been busy busy. I only get a few hours a day on the computer so I've had to get caught up with my photography work first before resuming my posts here. A few "down" days when my computer needed a checkup put me even more behind. But enough about all that! I know you want to see the new posts! So here goes...

When we got home from Katelyn & Owen's hair cut appointments (see this post) they were in such a good mood. I took a chance and asked Katelyn if she would let me take a picture of them with their new haircuts. Normally she says "NO!" to my requests and runs off to play but this day she enthusiastically said "YES!". After I picked myself up off the ground from the shock I ran to get my camera and took them to the front yard. Here are some of my favorites from that quick session.

This is awesome!!

2009-07-04T04:55:00.003-05:00

Okay, I'm sorry for my lack of posts here lately. My computer was "in the shop" for about 4 days for some much needed reconfiguration and that has put me super behind in everything! Can you believe that 3 - 750 GB drives were NOT ENOUGH memory?? After adding 2 more 1 TB hard drives I'm back in business. I've got lots of work to do on file management but at least now I have much more room to move around. Before, my computer got so bogged down it was so slow and tortuous to work with. That is why everything has taken me 3 times as long these days. My personal blogging has taken a back seat (yet once again) since it has taken me so much longer to do my other stuff. Hopefully I'll be back up to speed very soon and I have another growing list of posts to come your way!

In the meantime check out this awesome video I came across today! I would LOVE to see the "behind the scenes" on how this was done. I've always been fascinated by marketing and this is incredible!!

Hope everyone has a fabulous 4th of July!!

Shameless Plug

2009-06-17T05:50:00.004-05:00

I interrupt this family blog to share an awesome giveaway going on at the I♥FACES photography blog. Kodak is sponsoring a HUGE giveaway on iheartfaces.com - a $299 Kodak All-In-One-Printer - Anyone can enter but I WANT TO WIN!! :) Check it out!!

Of course a post is not complete without a picture!! Owen is still not walking but he is definitely perfecting the "monkey crawl" technique!

Transformed

2009-06-12T07:57:00.008-05:00

I just wanted to cry this week as I watched my baby be transformed into a little boy right before my eyes! Owen got his first haircut on Wednesday and he looks so precious! I can't believe the total transformation it made in him!

I even think he was a little excited that day. He flashed me this huge smile while we were waiting for Mrs. Pat to call us back.

Here he is just after sitting down in the chair. I wasn't sure if he was going to sit still so Daddy came along for assistance if needed. Owen wiggled more in Daddy's lap so we tried the booster seat and he was as still as can be.

It was really special to have Mrs. Pat do Owen's first haircut. She has been cutting Bart and his Dad's hair for years. She has lots of experience dealing with the "Mercer Men"!! Believe me they have to be "DEALT with" at times!! ;) She did a fabulous job as always! THANK YOU MRS. PAT!!!

Of course we couldn't leave Katelyn out. She got her own new 'do from Mrs. Kim (Pat's daughter) while we were there.

It turned out to be a day of family haircuts - Bart and I both got haircuts that day also!

The rest of the images are here.

Happy Birthday Chuck!

2009-06-12T07:11:00.003-05:00

My sweet brother turned 30 this year and Anna put together a wonderful surprise birthday celebration last weekend! Everything went off without a hitch and he was totally surprised! Our cousin Josh took him fishing that day and when they got back to the house we were all there in the backyard. The kids had a great time playing in the sprinklers and running over everyone with the power wheels vehicles! Uncle Willie did a fabulous job at the grill! Happy Birthday Little Brother!!

(Image is clickable to view it larger)

The rest of the images are here.

Happy Birthday Courtney!

2009-06-12T06:52:00.005-05:00

(Note: There are several videos in this post - you may need to go to actual blog site to view.)

On Sunday, May 31st we joined Katelyn's school friend Courtney to celebrate her 4th birthday. Katelyn, Courtney, and Ella became close friends in school this year. They are so cute playing together. Courtney had a Tinkerbell party complete with a cool slip-n-slide. Here are a few pictures from a fun afternoon. (Image is clickable)

The girls had a blast on the slip-n-slide!

Katelyn turned out to be the most fearless! She would run down it full force!

Owen also enjoyed his first trip down the slip-n-slide! I love how he goes all the way to the top and then heads back down - just like his sister! Monkey see, monkey do! ;)

This was also the day Owen officially started the "monkey crawl". For Katelyn when she started doing this she ended up walking very soon after. It is so cute to watch him do this and exciting to know what is coming next!!

Here he is in action! Notice how he spots the John Deere Gator and he pretty much spent the rest of the afternoon on it and would NOT get off! Too bad the battery was dead by the time he discovered it.

Happy Birthday Courtney! We had a wonderful time at your party!

The rest of the images are here.

My baby is growing up...

2009-06-11T14:44:00.006-05:00

Yep, Katelyn is definitely growing up way too fast! On the Tuesday after her birthday we went to see Dr. Wood for her annual checkup. No shots this time and she was so excited! They are coming next year though! She weighed in at 43 lbs and measured 43 inches. How about that?!? The nurse said that it was rare for both numbers to be exactly the same! I think her love of french fries is starting to catch up with her!

She got a great report with the exception of a little "scene" she caused when they wanted a urine sample. I've debated whether or not to put this story on the blog so I guess I'll just save it for her scrapbook. It wasn't funny when it happened but I'm sure she'll get a good laugh reading about it one day! Let's just say she is a little bull-headed which I'm sure she gets from both her Mommy and Daddy. I'll just leave it at that! :)

Look at the difference a year makes! Now I wish I had pictures from her first and second year to compare even more!

I thought she was particularly cute in the paper gown they gave her to wear!

The Absorbing Power of Huggies

2009-06-11T13:58:00.004-05:00

Have you ever witnessed the amazing absorbancy of a Huggies diaper? Stick your baby in a pool of water and watch it swell! It is incredible! We were down at the pool recently and I didn't have a swim diaper handy so I just let Owen swim in his regular diaper. Poor little guy it swelled up with so much water he almost couldn't crawl around! It was kinda funny! Of course I had to take pictures! ;)

He was also being particularly cute that day as well...

Wheeee!!

2009-06-11T13:49:00.004-05:00

Owen took his first jet ski ride recently and absolutely LOVED it! After a few minutes however he got real heavy on my arms and the little bugger had falled asleep! I guess that is a sure sign he enjoyed the ride! As soon as we got back to the pier he popped up and was all smiles.

Yes, I cropped myself out...it was BAD!! ;)

Katelyn's 4th Birthday

2009-06-11T12:43:00.012-05:00

Since the very next day after her last birthday Katelyn declared "Mommy, I want a flower party for my next birthday!" So with that the flower party plans were put into motion. I figured this year that the kids were old enough to graduate from the sprinklers and head down to the pool. In keeping with the flower and pool theme we did a hibiscus flower party to keep everything colorful. When I first started working on it I really had a hard time finding items to match the theme but the closer it got luau items started popping up all over. It turned out perfect! Rain showers were all over the area all day long so we decided at the last hour to move the party to Gigi and Poppy's porch. Her beautiful flowers added perfectly to the decor!

Before the guests arrived we set up the homemade slip-n-slide complete with dishwashing detergent! What fun! Cameron braved the first run and it didn't take Katelyn and Hannah long to give it a try! Noted for future reference, dishwashing liquid is not the best thing for slip-n-slides. It got really soapy fast! We had to keep rinsing everyone off before they could get in the pool. Next time I think we'll try baby oil instead.

They had a ball of fun!

Just as the party began the rain stopped, the sun came out, and it was a totally gorgeous afternoon! The rest of the weekend weather was yucky but that didn't matter because for 3 whole hours it was perfect! Katelyn had a wonderful 4th birthday that she will remember for a lifetime! (Image is clickable)

I have to give a huge SHOUT OUT to Suzanne Williams who was once again the official party photographer. At only 4 days prior to delivering her second child, Anna, she documented the party like a champ! It was unbelievable! I am so grateful for all she has done. The pictures are just wonderful! See them all here and a few I took before and after the party are here. Suzanne, you are the best!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

Summer Pets

2009-06-11T12:30:00.005-05:00

Since getting stung by a wasp on the playground at school, Katelyn has been very afraid of bugs of all shapes and sizes. She goes into hysterics even over the sight of a little fly! We have been trying hard to help her overcome this fear and teach her the difference in good bugs and bad bugs. This has been a challenge but she is slowly easing up on her fears. Meet one of her new "best friends" - this is Roly.

Roly even has his own custom house made with a little help from Hannah, my neice.

Thank goodness that roly polys all look alike and can easily be replaced as needed. ;)

Forget-Me-Nots

2009-06-11T12:15:00.003-05:00

On the last day of school, Katelyn's teacher, Mrs. Bamberg, gave her a note with a packet of seeds. We have held on to those seeds because I knew that I do NOT have a green thumb or know anything about planting flowers. Recently Katelyn asked her Gigi if she would help her plant her seeds. They did and Katelyn was so excited. She watered them and checked on them daily. Gigi decided to help the process along a little and purchased an "advanced version". She planted them in the same pot so when Katelyn came to check on her seeds she would find them. Well it didn't take her long at all! She went to check on her seeds that day and came back in the house squealing "MOMMY THEY GREW! THEY GREW MOMMY! COME SEE!" She was just overcome with excitement! I tell you that was worth every penny to see her light up like that!

Thank you Mrs. Bamberg and Mrs. Edwards for all you taught Katelyn this year! She is starting to sound out words on her own now! We are so proud of her accomplishments! You guys are wonderful!

Hunter's Graduation

2009-06-08T05:13:00.006-05:00

On Thursday, May 21st we were thrilled to attend the HS graduation of our cousin Hunter from Macon East Montgomery Academy. It seems like just yesterday I was helping him with his 7th grade science project and now he is DONE!! WOW!! He is set to attend Auburn University in the Fall.

CONGRATULATIONS Hunter! We are so proud of you!

The rest of the images are HERE.

Gigi's Dancing Dolls - Videos

2009-06-08T05:00:00.000-05:00

Here are the video clips from Katelyn's recital. They were done with my little Canon S5 point and shoot. We were sitting pretty close to the back of the auditorium at Wetumpka Performing Arts so I'm very impressed with how they turned out. THANK YOU so much to DaLee for doing this for us! You are wonderful!

Opening Number:

"Fly To Your Heart" (from Tinkerbell movie) - Ballet:

"It's A Small World" - Gymnastics/Baton:

"Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo" (from Cinderella) - Tap:

Gigi's Dancing Dolls

2009-06-08T04:59:00.001-05:00

After a day at the Tractor Show it was off to Katelyn's first dance recital with Gigi's Dancing Dolls that evening. The show's theme was "A Magical Night of Disney" featuring a variety of Disney characters and tunes. Of course I had to do a little mini photo session to get a picture of her very first recital costume! She was a Flower Fairy. So pretty!

Backstage before the show, the girls were getting very excited and even posed for a few pictures. Here she is with Courtney and Gracie. Ella is popping up in the background.

Ella and Katelyn - so pretty!

The show began and the costumes were just beautiful. All of them were Disney inspired and very well selected. Katelyn's class came onstage 3 different times performing ballet ("Fly to Your Heart"), gymnastics/baton ("It's a Small World"), and tap ("Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo"). I have video from the night but will have to come back and add this to the post later.

The show was one of the best run recitals I have ever attended. It started at 7pm and we were done by 9:15pm. That included 31 performances! That is incredible! Normally these things run until 10:30-11pm!! Gigi Hankins, owner of Gigi's Dancing Dolls, did a fantastic job! Thank you Mrs. Gigi!!

After the show Daddy gave her flowers!

Of course we couldn't miss an opportunity to get a picture with the star for show!

We are so proud of you baby girl!! We love you!

8th Annual Alabama Antique Tractor Show & Pull

2009-06-08T04:58:00.000-05:00

Friday, May 15th kicked off the 8th Annual Alabama Antique Tractor Show and Pull sponsored by the Elmore Fire Department in association with Southern Antique Iron Association. It is a fundraiser for the local fire department. Tractors from around the country come in to be displayed and participate in the pulling competition. It is just the neatest thing! 9 years ago I would laugh if someone told me I should go to a tractor pull but I am totally amazed at how intriguing and interesting this event is every year! My husband and all the guys with the fire department do a FANTASTIC job putting this event together!

On Friday night the Fire Department hosts a fish fry for the show's sponsors, vendors, and participants. We have fried catfish, fries, hush puppies, coleslaw, and dessert. It is YUMMY! There was a great turnout this year.

We have been a part of this event since the very beginning and I am so proud of my husband for all his had done to make this event a HUGE success!

The kids had a great time on the display equipment from a local tractor equipment company.

Like turning on a light switch it was amazing to watch Owen "discover" tractors for the first time! The moment I pulled him up to the area where they were doing the tractor pull you could immediately see the amazement in his face and he just froze. The look on his face was "Oh Wow!". He loved every second of it and did not want to leave! To this day he continues to be drawn to tractors of all shapes and sizes!

One of the fun festivities that was started a few years back is the BBQ Cookoff competition. There are categories for brisket, ribs, chicken, boston butt, and even a dessert category. Gigi won FIRST PLACE this year with her Banana Split Pie entry! Yeah Gigi!

Finally, I have to share Owen's latest crawling skills! Even though he got a late start crawling (the week before his first birthday) he has definitely got the hang of it now! He would crawl everywhere if we would let him!

(Embedded video - you may have to go to blog site if viewing this from an email or reader)

Now if I can just get him walking before he is TWO!! ;)

The rest of the images are HERE.

Frazer Children's Choir Spring Concert

2009-06-05T05:39:00.006-05:00

On Wednesday, May 13th we attended Katelyn's spring choir concert at Frazer UMC. For weeks she had been practicing her songs at home and I felt like I knew them just as well as she did! She did such a great job!

Many kudos and hugs to Mr. Randall and Mrs. Lydia (Culp) who are true celebrities among the 3-4 year old crowd! The Culps directed the 3-4 year old choir this year and did such a fabulous job. Anytime one of the kids see them around church you will immediately hear "It's Mr. Randall!!" So cute!! Thank you guys for all you do for our kids!! They love you and so do we!

Here's a quick video of one of Katelyn's favorite songs from the program "Whale of a Tale". Even today she might just burst out into song at any random moment so consider yourself warned!

If you want to see more video click HERE. Many thanks to Wendy (Kinley's mommy) for being the official videographer for the evening while I took pictures! Wendy, you are the BEST!!

The rest of the images are HERE.

Mother's Day 2009

2009-06-04T14:34:00.004-05:00

In my mind there is a vision of a beautiful perfect portrait of me with my kids on Mother's Day. I'm a lot thinner, my kids are happy, smiling, and looking at the camera, and flowers are blooming in the background. Although in REALITY - this is it. My sweet husband did oblige me in taking a picture of which I am forever grateful. Owen was happy but right in the sun. Rats! We had to fight with Katelyn to be still and look the right way. Geez! My life.

I love my babies and my husband with all my heart. I am so blessed to be a Momma and the day was perfect. Thank you Bart, Katelyn, and Owen for bringing me such joy! I love you!

Here's a little something Katelyn did at school for me. I love it! It makes me smile.

I also couldn't resist a little flashback from Mother's Days past. (Image is clickable)

Katelyn's Last Day of Preschool

2009-06-04T14:17:00.005-05:00

It is so hard to believe that my baby is out of preschool - sort of...she will start K-4 in the Fall. She is so excited! I, on the other hand, have mixed emotions. Starting in the fall she will be in school 5 days a week for the next 14 years! WOW! What a reality to think about that!

Katelyn's last day of school was Friday, May 8th. They had a party, enjoyed pizza and ice pops, and had a blast on the inflatable. I got a little crazy with my camera because the kids were just so cute. They would look right at me and give me the sweetest smiles. I just couldn't stop shooting! I have SO many favorite images that I just couldn't pick a few for the blog. So here's a collage. It was a super fun day!

To see all the pics and to download or print individual images, click HERE.

A Little Flashback

2009-06-04T14:05:00.003-05:00

I was cleaning off my desk and found these little snapshots of Katelyn that were taken over the year at her school. They take pictures of each of the kids several times during the year to put on the bulletin boards. After they come down off the bulletin board they send them home. It is neat to look back at how much she has changed over the year.

FBC 2008-2009

Seeing these got me to looking for the ones from last year. Ooohh she looks so little! This was when she was in the Preschool 2 class.

FBC 2007-2008

Birthday Girl!

2009-06-04T12:45:00.003-05:00

With Katelyn's birthday being in the summer she doesn't get the usual birthday party at school like those with Winter birthdays. However at FBC during the last week of school they set a time aside to celebrate summer birthdays. This picture was taken by her teacher Mrs. Bamberg. Mrs. Bamberg makes all the children Clifford plates for their birthday. Clifford has been the class mascot this year. Katelyn loves to eat off her special plate! Thank you Mrs. Bamberg!

FBC End of Year Program

2009-05-23T05:17:00.009-05:00

First Baptist Church Child Development Center held their end of year program on Sunday, May 3rd. This was our second year at FBC and I was so impressed with how much more comfortable Katelyn was on stage this year. She did a great job!!

I've tried for several days with no luck in getting the video uploaded of her portion of the program. Here is a small clip of the second part for the grandparents since they were unable to attend.

The rest of the images are HERE. If your child was in the P2, P3, or K3 class you might find him/her here. I tried to get a shot of as many as I could.

Katelyn is super excited to be starting K4 next year! We are so proud of our little girl!

Owen's 1st Birthday

2009-05-20T14:26:00.013-05:00

On Saturday, May 2nd I woke up to a flurry of emotions. My baby boy, my last baby, was no longer a baby. The past year just seemed like a blur! I'm so excited about the future but it is so hard to let go of those baby days. I finally had to snap out of it because it was PARTY TIME!!

We had a small gathering with family and a few close friends on Poppy & Gigi's porch. As expected (since it has rained EVERY year for at least the past 9 years on the first weekend in May) it did rain but that didn't dampen our outdoor party one bit. Gigi's porch was just beautiful with all her gorgeous flowers. It was the perfect setting.

Amanda Berkstresser from Cakes by Frankie (Frankie's daughter) did the cakes. They were very yummy!

I think Owen was excited the day of his birthday. We would chant "It's your birthday! It's your birthday!" and he would smile real big and just dance. It was so precious! I love his birthday hat but he was not particularly fond of it.

We had a great turnout for a rainy Saturday morning. As most of you know I LOVE group shots so of course it was a must have for this party too! :)

Owen LOVED his cake and actually wanted to eat the candle too if I would have let him! He was a little apprehensive at first but quickly learned how to dig in!

Ruthie even got in on the action when Owen tossed the cake plate on the floor!

After the rain stopped Owen and my Dad had a great time playing in the rain drops falling from the roof. They would fall on Owen's face and he would just bust out laughing. It was the funniest thing!

After most folks had left and during clean up we decided to let the kids "send the balloons to Jesus" (as John Matson would say!). They loved it! Owen, Katelyn, and Thomas were all so fascinated watching the balloons float off into the sky.

Suzanne Williams was the official photographer of the day and her images are just absolutely priceless! Of course I couldn't resist getting in a few shots before and after but I can't tell you what a wonderful thing it is to have someone else documenting the day so you can really enjoy the party. Don't spare the expense and just do it!! Even 9 months pregnant she was all over the place snapping away.

I am so thankful for her friendship! It looks like we will both have 2 May babies since Baby Anna is scheduled for May 27th. Her first daugther, Ella, was born on May 6th. Believe it or not she is still planning to help me with Katelyn's party on May 24th!! She said Baby Anna was not allowed to come until after Memorial Day weekend was over. :) I guess we'll both have to take off the month of May each year just to keep up with each other's birthday parties!

Say a little prayer for me as I have accepted the awesome opportunity to photograph Baby Anna's birth next week! I am so excited but so very nervous too! I pray that my nerves will stay calm and I can be there in plenty of time.

The rest of the images are HERE and HERE.

Twelve Months

2009-05-19T06:30:00.001-05:00

WOW! I can't believe this post is THREE weeks late! AARRRGGGHHH!! Oh well, I can't let it pass that Owen was 12 months old on May 2nd. He weighed in at 23 pounds 1 ounce (50%) and measured 32 inches long (95%) at his 12 month doctor visit.
--He seemed to have totally skipped 12 month sized clothes and pretty much went from 9 months to 18 months leaving me with lots of unworn clothes that I got at consignment this time. :(
--Just a couple of days before his first birthday he figured out how to crawl up on his hands and knees (versus the "army" crawl he had been so fond of until now). He is really getting around now and pulling up onto EVERYTHING!
--He still eats very well and pretty much anything you put in front of him. I've been trying to transition him more to whole milk but I'm not so sure he is tolerating it very well. I think it may be giving him stomach cramps at times. I'm going to stay with the Next Step formula for a while longer I believe.
--He is jabbering ALL the time! He will look at you and bust out with an entire sentence it seems and wait for a response. If you respond he will just keep on going like he is holding a conversation with you. It is so funny! He's still not saying much more than DA-DA, ball, and Uh-Oh very plainly but there are sometimes hints that MA-MA might be pretty close. (I had really hoped that he would start saying MA-MA on Mother's Day but no such luck!)
--He is definitely a Momma's boy and I LOVE it! He loves to snuggle and I could eat him up! :)
--I have to admit I'm really glad to be done with his monthly pictures. Those last few months were TOUGH once he got so mobile! I'm probably going to still take some sort of picture of him on a monthly basis for a while longer just not set in the same place.

Here's the year in review (click on image to see it larger):

Well Check Ups:

Up next...his 1st birthday party!!

Thomas turns 2!!

2009-05-19T05:53:00.011-05:00

On April 23rd our family got together to celebrate my sweet nephew's 2nd birthday. Thomas was so excited!

He was wide open and all over the place on his John Deere tractor that he had gotten for Christmas.

The main event was actually THE SWINGSET that almost consumed my brother, my dad, and my cousin Josh over the prior week. I have to say I was very impressed with all their hard work!

He was so into his gifts this year! It was fun to hear his funny comments and see his sweet expressions of excitement. He got lots of outdoor toys and he couldn't have been happier!

He loved playing with Katelyn's bubble mower at our house and when his Gran got him his own he was estatic! He pushed that thing around for a long time!

The weedeater from Nana and Pop was also a huge hit! He looked so stinkin' cute with the goggles on and didn't even mind wearing them!

Of course we had to take a minute to grab some family shots. Here are the grandparents - Nana, Pop, Gran & GiGi.

But this quick family shot was definitely a favorite!

After the sun went down we headed inside for a delicious lasagna dinner and homemade birthday cake. Thomas did a great job of blowing out the candles. It made him so happy and he wanted to do it again and again!

Happy Birthday Thomas!! We love you little buddy! The rest of the images are HERE.

On the following Saturday he had his friends party at the Montgomery Zoo. You can see those images HERE.

A new babysitter??

2009-05-18T12:32:00.003-05:00

I think I might have found a new babysitter for Owen...SPAGHETTI! Yes, it's a little messy and the clean up is not much fun but boy does he really get into it! The night before his first birthday party I was busy in the kitchen doing a ton of different things. Katelyn had gone somewhere with Gigi and Poppy so it was just me and Owen. I put him in the high chair with some spaghetti and I didn't hear a peep out of him for at least 45 minutes! Now he did request more from time to time but that was it! I got almost all of my kitchen work done while he entertained himself. I loved it!!

A couple other images are HERE.

Water Boy

2009-05-18T12:10:00.004-05:00

Both of my children just LOVE water! Which is a good thing being here on the lake I guess! After several unseasonably warm days we decided spend an afternoon out by the pool. We started off with the toddler sprinkler but later decided to give the pool a try. I knew it would have to still be freezing cold but it actually wasn't too bad. The kids loved getting to splash around and it was an absolutely gorgeous day outside. I'm so glad summer is finally here!

Here's a quick video of Owen splashing around. I love how you can see him kicking his feet under the water.

The rest of the images are HERE.

Johnny Jump-Up

2009-05-18T11:53:00.003-05:00

Here is one of the few times that Owen has actually enjoyed being in the Johnny Jump-up! This is my little secret of how I get a shower when he is awake. ;) On this particular day he was just a chattering and jumping all around. I was able to grab the camera for a quick conversation with him. Notice how he just jabbers like he's having a conversation with you but it makes no sense at all!

Sprinker Fun

2009-05-18T10:37:00.009-05:00

When the weather starts getting warmer in April each year Katelyn starts itching to get outside in the sprinkler! So one afternoon we did just that and she had a blast. The water is always so cold but she doesn't care one bit!

Interestingly it looks like we tend to get outside in sprinkler around the same time every year. Here is a little flash back from years past. It is so neat to see how much she has grown!

May 2008 - Owen was only 1 week old and it was time for some fresh air! She loved running through the sprinkler but quickly fell in love with the mud puddle as well!

April 2007 - Katelyn would scream every time she would run into the sprinkler. Check out that cute little saggy diaper!

April 2006 - These were the days before the water sprinkler came to our house but we still spent lots of time outside down by the lake. You know looking back at these I never realized how easy life was with only one child to look after! ;)

The rest of the current images are HERE.

FBC Art Show

2009-05-15T06:36:00.005-05:00

Each year FBC CDC holds an art show for the kids to show off some of their special art work from the year. This year each of the kids painted a square that was assembled into a display quilt. It was auctioned off to raise money for American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. It was pretty neat!

Katelyn also did a cross painting using a stencil technique.

My favorite was the marshmellow paintings. I think I understood it correctly that they used food coloring and Karo syrup so they could eat the marshmallows afterward!

I couldn't help but throw in this this little flashback from last year at her very first art show in the P2 class. So sweet!

The rest of the images are HERE.

More from Easter Weekend

2009-05-15T05:51:00.012-05:00

Oops! I totally skipped over Easter Sunday afternoon! We left Alex City after church and came home to have lunch at Poppy & Gigi's house with Carmichael side of the family. It was yummy! The cousins enjoyed hunting Easter eggs in the front yard (or is it the backyard when you live at the lake???).

After everyone left Katelyn and Owen found the baskets the Easter Bunny had left for them. He sent a note to Nana & Pop's house that their baskets were so big that he left them at our house instead of hauling them all the way to Alex City. ;)

It was such a nice day we took them outside to see what was inside. They were both so excited!!

Katelyn LOVES to read! She is starting to really sound out the letters and putting words together. It is very exciting!

Owen was fascinated with everything in his basket.

I am so blessed!

The rest of the images are HERE.

Looking Ahead

2009-05-14T06:47:00.003-05:00

About a couple of weeks before Owen's first birthday (I know I should have waited but he is SO BIG!!) after having to switch out car seats in the truck I decided to go ahead and give him a try facing forward. HE LOVES IT! Every since that day he has chattered NON-STOP! Before when we rode he would settle in and usually go to sleep whenever we went somewhere - not anymore! He just talks and reaches for his sister to get her attention constantly. Don't think I haven't considered going back to those quieter days!! ;)

"Enough pictures already - Let's go MOM!!"

The rest of the images are HERE.

The 7th Anniversary of my 29th Birthday

2009-05-14T06:28:00.004-05:00

For someone who doesn't really like to make a big deal over her birthday it ended up being a weekend celebration it seems! My birthday was actually on a Friday but I had to work the Goshen HS prom down in Troy with Barry that night. It is always fun to go back to prom! My how things have changed! ;) What's this "stanky leg" thing anyway?!?

On Saturday we attended a 30th birthday surprise party for our friend Keith Williams (post from his party) and then headed out to Shogun (my FAVORITE birthday dinner spot) for some good 'ole Japanese entertainment. This was the kids' first experience and it was fun to watch their eyes get big over the big flames and the fact that everything was cooked right in front of us. YUMMY!!

The plan was to go bowling afterwards but bedtime was quickly approaching so we decided to put that off until another time.

Bart had given me a Nintendo DS for my birthday (Yeah!!) so we did make a quick stop in the mall to look for games. I had a coupon for Build-A-Bear that was about to expire so Katelyn got a new friend named Fluffy Bunny. It cost me a total of $1.65 after my coupons - SWEET!! Then she pitched a fit to ride the merry-go-round but we were all ready to go so we told her we would have to do that another time. She pitched a fit as usual. I told her I didn't have any money and asked her if she wanted to take her Build-A-Bear back (not thinking she would go for that) and she said "YES!" What?!? Then she threw her new bunny at me and said "I want to ride the Merry-go-round!" UGH!! Time to GO!! WHAT am I going to do with her!!

Then on Sunday our family got together for the annual birthday dinner. These are my favorite! I enjoy the casual atmosphere of being with everyone and always the good grub too!

Thank you everyone for a fabulous birthday!!

The rest of the images are HERE.

Disney On Ice

2009-05-13T23:40:00.003-05:00

On Friday, April 17th (my birthday!) while I was down in Troy, Alabama photographing a prom, Bart and Katelyn trekked off to the Coliseum with our cousins Art and Shana to see the Disney On Ice performance. Owen stayed back at home with Poppy & Gigi. I sent a camera with Katelyn asking her to have someone take pictures of them but when they came back there were no pictures of Daddy. I'm thankful for what they did get! They had a GREAT time!

The rest of the images are HERE.

Cheap Fun

2009-05-13T23:11:00.005-05:00

Recently I found a water hose sprayer on the dollar aisle at Target. I went to attach it to the water hose and Katelyn was very curious about what it did. Before I know it that little stinker was soaking wet!! It was COLD but she didn't care. She entertained herself for quite some time just playing with the water sprayer.

She got a little devilish and I told her not to spray me...this is what she did!

Owen was perfectly happy just hanging out in his wagon staying dry.

The rest of the images are HERE.

Easter Eggs

2009-05-13T23:03:00.004-05:00

On the Thursday before Easter the kids and I spent the afternoon outside dying Easter eggs on the back deck. Owen didn't really care to have any part in it so he ran around in his walker on the deck while Katelyn and I transformed the white boiled eggs into beautiful colorful eggs. She loved it! She was definitely more hands-on this year. We even got a little help from Cousin Hannah who stopped by to say hello. It was an absolutely beautiful afternoon to be outside.

The rest of the images are HERE.

FBC Easter Party

2009-05-09T21:15:00.009-05:00

Okay, I'm trudging through to catch up these posts one at a time. I can't give up because I love looking back at all this when I get ready to finally scrapbook it more permanently. So, about a month ago (4.8.09) Katelyn's class had their Easter party at school. It was a day of fun!

They hunted eggs on the playground...

Had a few egg races...

And learned how to peel and eat a boiled egg...YUM!!

A super fun time was had by all!! The rest of the images are HERE.

Welcome to our blog FBC CDC Friends!!

2009-05-09T05:14:00.003-05:00

Hi all! Some of you are coming here looking for pictures of your little cuties from the past year at FBC CDC. I'm a little behind right now in getting everything posted (Coming soon - End of Year program & Last Day party) but here are a few links to help you find some of the activities from the year. Check back in just a couple of days for the rest of the pics.

First Day of School - http://themercerfamilyblog.blogspot.com/2008/08/back-to-school.html

Fun at Hickory Hill Farms - http://themercerfamilyblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/fun-at-hickory-hills-farm.html

Harvest Festival - http://themercerfamilyblog.blogspot.com/2008/11/halloween-2008.html

Thanksgiving Feast & Turkey Trot - http://themercerfamilyblog.blogspot.com/2008/12/fbc-thanksgiving-feast-and-turkey-trot.html

Wetumpka Tree Lighting - http://themercerfamilyblog.blogspot.com/2008/12/wetumpka-tree-lighting.html

Breakfast in Bethlehem - http://themercerfamilyblog.blogspot.com/2008/12/fbc-breakfast-in-bethlehem.html

Grandparents Day - http://themercerfamilyblog.blogspot.com/2009/02/grandparents-day.html

Easter Egg Hunt - Coming soon!

End of Year Program - Coming soon!

Last Day of School - Coming soon!

Enjoy!!

Water-logged!

2009-05-08T04:46:00.003-05:00

It was a wet wet day in central Alabama yesterday! While East Montgomery seemed to get most of the very heavy stuff (upwards of 10 inches) the Town of Elmore also took a beating. The Town of Elmore has historically had some drainage issues and today it definitely did. Here are a couple of pictures Bart took yesterday while out with the Elmore Fire Dept Chief Buddy Broadway. They spent most of their day directing traffic, pumping water, and helping with medical calls in the county. It was quite the exciting day to say the least!

Out of Gas

2009-05-03T18:23:00.003-05:00

Now that Katelyn is quickly approaching age four, naps are sadly becoming a thing of the past. She will go and go and go until she just absolutely passes out. She is a totally different person when she has had an afternoon nap but it is getting very difficult to get her to take one without a huge fight these days. Recently after an episode of "bouncing off the walls" she got very quiet and this is what I found.

Note what is supposed to be her name above her bed. Everytime I put the letters in the correct order she insists on mixing them up again. Little toot! I just have to pick my battles with her these days. That's not one I'm willing to fight anymore.

Have you ever...

2009-05-03T15:54:00.004-05:00

...tried to go to the bathroom while trying to hold on to a little one?!? WOW! It can be quite the challenge! Well in the Wetumpka Wal-mart ladies room there is one of these! This had to be invented by a mother! I just wish they were everywhere! So cool!

Oh, and yes, I was sitting when I took this picture! ;)

Happy Birthday Owen!

2009-05-02T07:09:00.003-05:00

UGH! There is a big lump in my throat today as my BABY turns ONE! Happy Birthday Little Man! We love you!

So much to share...

2009-04-23T04:54:00.002-05:00

...so little time! Hi everyone! I promise I haven't forgotten about the blog! I've been super busy lately and feeling a little guilty about working on my personal stuff until I get more caught up with the client stuff. So, just know that there is a multitude of posts coming because life hasn't stopped around here and I'm just keeping a list! More photos from Easter, birthdays, and beautiful spring weather are coming soon! I'm almost there! :)

Easter Sunday

2009-04-16T12:16:00.005-05:00

For the past several years we have gone to Alex City for Easter morning. I help the youth with a fund raiser offering family portraits that morning. It is usually quite hectic and I don't get much time to take many family pictures as I would like. I have to leave early to get to the church and Mom and Dad get the kids ready for me. As usual I missed getting a picture of our little family all dressed up this year. However here is our entire family portrait. This has become a family tradition for us over the past 4 years (since I started doing this for the youth). When we first started Katelyn was about 11 months old and it is neat to see how our family has multiplied.

I did enjoy the service and was even able to sneak in a few candids from the upper level. The preacher started what he hopes to become a new tradition for the service by releasing butterflies at the cross during the children's minute. He talked about the new life that they represent. The kids loved it! They had the most precious little lamb for the service. I believe this is the owner in the center image. It is so grainy because it was pretty much shot in the dark!! :)

The rest of the images are HERE.

After we finished up at the church we headed home for lunch with Bart's side of the family. More to come!

Oooh! Pick ME!!

2009-04-16T11:00:00.003-05:00

I would LOVE to have this in a 16x20!!

I am entering this photo in the MCP Actions/Color Inc. Win a Gallery Wrap Canvas Photo Contest at http://mcpactions.com/blog. I certify that I took this photo and give both parties permission to use this photograph on their blogs/sites.

The Real Meaning of Easter

2009-04-11T21:59:00.001-05:00

Happy Easter!!

2009-04-11T08:04:00.003-05:00

We are heading to Alex City later today to spend some time with my family. I'm doing Family Portraits at First Methodist Church tomorrow morning and then it's back home for lunch with Bart's family. Maybe we can sneak in an egg hunt or two! Have a wonderful weekend! More pictures coming soon! :)

Oh Happy Day!

2009-04-07T07:00:00.000-05:00

John and Lauren are married! We headed north to Gardendale, Alabama this weekend to see our wonderful friends John and Lauren "tie the knot". It was a beautiful wedding and we were so honored to be a part of it! Katelyn was one of two flower girls and Bart was a groom's man. I was not the official photographer but couldn't resist getting some pictures of course! Thank you so much to Art and Shana for keeping a watchful eye on Owen while we all ran around in different directions!!

Katelyn was just beautiful and thoroughly enjoyed her job as the flower girl. The other little girl, Sittre Paige, was a few months younger and they became instant friends. Katelyn was a little disappointed that she didn't get to throw her petals when going down the aisle because Sittre got a little scared and wouldn't let go of Katelyn's hand! Katelyn just kept on going and they both went straight to their spot. They both did such a wonderful job!!

Don't they clean up well? Bart was so handsome in his tux! It reminded me of our special day just 6 short years ago! We may have to get him dressed up like this more often - I love it!!

The rest of the images are HERE (rehearsal dinner) and HERE (wedding day).

Katelyn's Pre-wedding Pampering and a little POOP!

2009-04-07T06:53:00.004-05:00

On Saturday before the wedding Shana and I took Katelyn to get a manicure and a pedicure. She just eats this up! She had a blast. The boys (Bart, Art, and Owen) stayed out in the car playing with their phones. :) Katelyn got up in the big chair and grinned from ear to ear the entire time.

Poor little Owen has been teething quite a bit with the latest addition of 3 teeth. Little did we know that major diarrhea would hit on our trip. On Friday afternoon we stopped by the tux shop to pick up Bart's tux. I realized he needed to be changed so I just took him in and put him on the floor while Bart did his thing. OMG, it was absolutely horrible. His poop was EVERYWHERE from head to toe!! It smelled up the entire shop and the lady came up to me and asked if I wanted to take him to the bathroom. At this point it was all over me and him and I was trying my best to not get it on anything else. I was already committed at that point and had to stay put until I could get it all cleaned up. I was so embarrassed!! They gave us a trash bag and we ended up just throwing all of Owen's clothes away it was so bad! Surely there was nothing left in him because with all that poop he surely had to be totally clean out!!

Oh no, no such luck! On Saturday while Art and Bart were taking care of Owen, Bart got another whiff. He laid him in the back of the truck to change him and Round 2 was ON!! Another massive blowout! Luckily I was in the nail place with Katelyn and had no idea what was going on at the time. They handled it very well and I was so proud of them! Bart ended up using an entire 80 pack of wipes on Owen!! He showed me a completely full bag of used wipes when it was over! Art said he was gagging the whole time and it was the worst he had ever seen! Of course it didn't phase Owen one bit!! :) Here are a few pictures from after the major ordeal!

Hilton turns 2!

2009-04-07T06:13:00.004-05:00

We enjoyed an afternoon at Pump It Up last Saturday to celebrate Hilton's 2nd birthday. Hilton is the son of Jim & Wendy Carlile who we have just fell in love with over the past few years. Katelyn and their daughter Kinley are only about a week apart in age. The boys are just a little over a year apart and are already showing signs of enjoying playing together.

Katelyn loves Pump It Up! It is definitely a great place to wear them out completely! Owen loved being pushed around in the cozy coupe. Little Elliot who had recently turned one and was walking quite well loved being the one to push Owen around.

Wendy did a great job with the Blue's Clues theme! The cake was precious and the bone shaped cookies were very yummy! We had a great time!

The rest of the images are HERE.

An Afternoon with Thomas

2009-04-07T06:03:00.008-05:00

I was so excited to get a call from my sister-in-law last week that she needed a babysitter for my nephew Thomas for the afternoon. Thomas came over around lunch and miraculously I was able to get them ALL down at the same time for a quick nap that afternoon before it was time for some outdoor playtime. The kids had such a fun time playing. It is so neat to watch them play together. Thomas loved the bubble mower. He pushed it all over the yard for a long time. He even pretended like it wouldn't start and tried kicking it. Wonder where he's seen that Daddy?? :)

We played baseball, jumped on the trampoline, and even played in the boat for a little while. Thomas and Katelyn had the best time standing on the motor cover of the boat and screaming at the top of their lungs. They would do it over and over and just laugh and laugh!!

Owen was having his own share of fun while the bigger kids ran around. He hung out in the wagon and the cozy coupe car. He even had his first taste of mud that he found in the back of the cozy coupe when I wasn't looking. I turned around to find this in progress...

It didn't hurt him but I don't think he will be trying that again anytime soon! :)

The rest of the images are HERE.

Two of my favorite people...

2009-04-05T11:43:00.003-05:00

...were in a wedding yesterday! Katelyn was a beautiful bridesmaid and my sweet husband was a stud in his tux!! I was so proud of them. More to come! Of course I only shot about 600+ images - lots to go through. This was an immediate favorite so I had to share!

I love you both with all my heart!

Eleven Months

2009-04-02T15:03:00.006-05:00

WHEW!! Owen's little monthly photo session lasted all of two minutes this month! Seriously! Our little man is ON THE GO! The moment I sat him down he was off. Luckily I got what I wanted in two shots because after that it was OVER! He is so funny! Over this past month he is "scooting" everywhere and pulling up on everything. He still doesn't want to get up on his hands and knees to crawl but then again why would he - he is so efficient with his "army crawl". He can definitely get after something in no time! He still wants to stand and "step" while standing on his toes but will put his heels down when prompted. I'm trying to keep his walker shoes on him more in hopes that will make it hard for him to keep walking on his toes. He doesn't want anything to do with his walker toy anymore! He has figured out that it gets stuck in the doorways and he can't get into the kitchen with it so he would much rather be on the floor so he can go where he wants to go. Still no improvement in sign language. This child has no interest in signing when he can just squeal for everything he wants. His squeals are now higher pitched and even more intense than ever before. ROAR! He continues to eat like a horse and is eating more and more table foods. He has loved everything he has been given to date and always wants more, more, more! He has sprouted 3 more teeth this month for a total of 4. His other bottom tooth is in (and can be seen in this month's picture) and his two eye teeth are almost completely in. He grew these 3 teeth all at the same time but luckily they didn't seem to have a drastic effect on him. I think those are the main highlights for now. I still can't believe in just 4 weeks my baby boy will be a year old. WOW!

Katelyn and Mommy

2009-03-19T06:02:00.004-05:00

I love Facebook - yes, I am addicted! There is a note chain going around right now where you interview your child and post the answers to the questions. I did this with Katelyn recently and it was too cute not to share!

According to Katelyn - 3.17.09 - 3 years old

1. What is something mommy always says to you? please and thank you

2. What makes mommy happy? when I get something for you

3. What makes mommy sad? When I spill something

4. How does your mommy make you laugh? Make popping sounds with mouth (?)

5. What was your mommy like as a child? Just like me

6. How old is your mommy? 10

7. How tall is your mommy? Raises hands up high (about 3 feet)

8. What is her favorite thing to do? Play with me

9. What does your mommy do when you're not around? Take pictures & work on computer

10. If your mommy becomes famous, what will it be for? Being my mommy (awww!)

11. What is your mommy really good at? Taking pictures

12. What is your mommy not very good at? nothing

13. What does your mommy do for her job? Take pictures

14. What is your mommy's favorite food? Jello (huh?)

15. What makes you proud of your mommy? Your smile

16. If your mommy were a cartoon character, who would she be? A flower

17. What do you and your mommy do together? Play games

18. How are you and your mommy the same? We look alike

19. How are you and your mommy different? You are taller

20. How do you know your mommy loves you? lots of hugs and kisses

21. Where is your mommy's favorite place to go? Wal-mart (NOT!)

Springtime Fun on the Lake

2009-03-16T12:32:00.007-05:00

It is hard to believe that just 7 days after it snowed the temps were back in the low 70s! We were all itching to take the boat out for a ride and we had so much fun! The kids really enjoyed being out on the water again.

Here is the infamous waterfall on Lake Jordan. It is a huge hangout in the summertime but rarely has water coming over it anymore except for when we've had quite a bit of rain.

A place we call "Sugar Loaf Hill" is still available if you know anyone looking to move to the lake. It a gorgeous home and ready for a family to love! Let me know if you need more info! To see inside click HERE.

The rest of the images are HERE.

Sink Bath

2009-03-16T12:01:00.003-05:00

I had the bright idea to give Owen a bath in the sink on Saturday. What a mess! He had a blast though!

The rest of the images are HERE.

Wild Man Mercer

2009-03-16T11:45:00.002-05:00

Watch out! He is on the move!

I can't seem to get him to crawl on his hands and knees but as you can see here that definitely doesn't stop him from getting what he wants!

The rest of the images are HERE.

Owen's Baptism

2009-03-16T10:43:00.006-05:00

March 8, 2009 marked a very special day in Owen's life - this was the day he received the sacrament of baptism. It was a beautiful day and everything was perfect. Lots of family and friends joined us at the 9:30am service. My sweet friend, Suzanne Williams, was on hand to help with the photography and my dad videoed the service. Aunt Kaye provided a delicious lunch for everyone back at her house afterwards. We are truly blessed!

Baptism Announcement designed by me :)

Here's the quick service performed by John Schmidt:

To God Be The Glory! The rest of the images are HERE.

Katelyn Update

2009-03-16T06:09:00.005-05:00

With Owen discovering new things everyday and changing so fast I feel like sometimes Katelyn doesn't get the attention she deserves here on the blog. I thought I would do a quick "Katelyn Update" for the family. She will be 4 in May and smart as a whip! She absolutely LOVES school and is soaking everything up like a sponge. I am amazed daily as she goes around spelling out the words she sees. She has been into rhyming words lately and if you give her a word she likes to think up all the words that rhyme with it. I honestly about fell out of my chair the other morning when she asked me how to spell my name and proceeded to show me this!! OMG! Is that normal?

She hasn't quite gotten her own name down yet but I was so impressed with her lettering on mine! She loves taking dance and going to choir practice each week. I keep thinking that next summer I need to sign her up for Camp Shakespeare for some real acting lessons. She is such a DRAMA QUEEN - might as well channel some of that into something useful! Our little girl is growing up right before our eyes. It is truly amazing to watch her blossom. Oh, did I mention how much she LOVES her little brother?!?

We love you little girl! Thank you for making us so proud!

Pink Eye - Round 2

2009-03-16T05:49:00.003-05:00

I got so many comments about posting Katelyn's pink eye that I couldn't let poor little Owen go unnoticed! :) My motto is "If it's not on the blog then it didn't happen!" - well in reason of course! Anyhow, sure enough about a week after Katelyn got over her bout with Pink Eye, Owen woke up with a swollen eye of his own. Thankfully I was able to start him on the drops immediately and it only lasted about two days. Be gone Pink Eye!!

Six years ago today...

2009-03-15T17:33:00.005-05:00

...we said "I DO!"

Here we are today - still in love! Happy Anniversary Baby! I love you!

Ten Months

2009-03-15T13:26:00.004-05:00

WOW! This month has just about gotten away from me! I'm sorry it has taken me so long to post his ten month update. Owen continues to grow like crazy and changing so much everyday. He is quickly losing the "baby" look and is truly my little man. This boy is on the move constantly! He is no longer happy sitting still and has to be in the walker, scooting around on the floor, or his latest trick - pulling up on the furniture and anything upright! He can walk all the way around the edges of the pack and play and pulls up and sits down all on his own. He will run you over in the walker so watch out! :) He is starting to eat more and more table foods and enjoys feeding himself finger foods. He main vocabulary is still "UH OH" & "DA DA" and signs hello/goodbye and more. Sometimes he gets frustrated with "more" and just grunts until he gets what he wants! He is a wonderful sleeper and takes a generally takes a nice 2 hour nap in the morning. He's not much for sleeping in the afternoon though because he is more interested in what his big sister is doing usually. He is definitely my easy going, laid back child which is wonderful after dealing with the "drama queen" all day! His favorite toys are balls, blocks, and pretty much anything he can get into his mouth. I can't believe his first birthday will be here before we know it!

Here's a quick look at the other monthly pictures:

The rest of the images are HERE.

Pink Eye

2009-03-03T06:55:00.003-06:00

We have been a relatively "well" household for quite a long time with the exception of a recent string of "crud" that has come through. Now Katelyn has "pink eye"! YUCK! I noticed on Sunday afternoon when she got back from Gigi's shop that her right eye was really red. She commonly has some darkness under her eyes which I think are mild allergies. I gave her some Benadryl thinking that would help. Well even after another round of Benadryl still no change and even getting a little worse. I called the doctor's office and Dr. Wood has prescribed some drops. She said she should be good to go back to school on Wednesday. When I told Katelyn that her eye was "sick" and that she had "pink eye" she kinda thought that was cool being that pink is her favorite color and all! I tell you this has not slowed her down one bit!

First Tooth!

2009-03-03T06:42:00.003-06:00

Well, it's official! Owen's first tooth has finally broken through! I noticed it first around February 10th but it has taken me this long to get a good picture of the little bugger. Owen proudly shows it off now when you tell him to smile! I love it!

Dr. Seuss - Read Across America

2009-03-03T06:16:00.003-06:00

For the past week schools across America have been celebrating the birthday of Dr. Seuss. FBC CDC invited the parents to come read to the class. I accepted the opportunity last Wednesday and had such a wonderful time. I read "One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish" and got so tongue-tied before it was over! The kids seemed to love it. They were so attentive to every word. Cody's mom, Stephanie, also read that day. On Friday, their class read "Green Eggs and Ham" while everyone got to have a taste. Katelyn said it was "GOOD!"

The rest of the pictures are HERE.

SNOW!!

2009-03-03T05:26:00.005-06:00

Oh the South is buzzing after a recent weekend of totally wild weather! Never before have I experienced 70 degree temperatures on Friday, storms and tornado warnings on Saturday, and then wake up to SNOW! on Sunday!! It was a wild weekend indeed and we definitely enjoyed the snow part. Katelyn had an absolute blast playing with her cousins, Cameron & Hannah. Owen was just as content watching out the window by the warm fire with Poppy & Gigi. Here are a few images from our fun day.

Katelyn and I tried making a snowman but she would rather throw snow at me instead.

She did a great time making a snow angel...

We went next door to Chad & Stephanie's house to sled down the hill. Their dog, Tiger, was so funny to watch as he would snap at the falling snow.

It took Katelyn a little while to warm up to the idea that going down the hill would be fun but soon she got the hang of it!

Cameron got the bright idea to ride the kayak down the hill (right toward the LAKE!). The first time he did it the kayak went right into the lake. Luckily he jumped off first. This is his second trip down. I have to admit it looked pretty fun!
One day maybe I can find the time to figure out how to merge all these videos together! :)

The snow was gone not long after lunch. It was a perfect day! It was just enough to play in and was gone about the time we all got tired of it!

The rest of the pictures are HERE.